Born of Shadow - Book 1 (complete)

Chapter 7

Magical powers. Kami remembered the pulse she'd felt earlier that day. But she hadn't felt anything since, so it must have just been her imagination, after all. 

"Who is Khaled Hassri?"

"My father! How did you know?"

"It's right here. It's kind of hard to see unless you look at it just right."

He handed her back the scarab, and she squinted to read the tiny words inscribed on it. It was written in Arabic. A lot of good that did her.

"It's fairly common to put your name on these. Supposedly it provides the wearer with protective powers," Liam said. "But wait a minute. Look at this. This is unusual."

"What?"

"This other engraved word. It's so faded I almost didn't see it. I don't recognize the symbols. Do you?"

Kami squinted at the necklace again.

"I can't read any of it," she shrugged. "I wonder where my father got it?"

"Me too. It's kind of heavy. Don't you feel it pulling at your neck?"

"It did at first, but then I got used to it after awhile."

She thumbed the surface lightly. Still no surges or energy pulses. She was probably just imagining things in her excitement over the trip.

"So let me get this straight," she said. "At first I thought it was just a scarab necklace, but now I know they are not just any beetles. They are special beetles that rise triumphantly from a pile of poo?"

Liam laughed.

"When you put it that way," he choked out, then regained his composure. "At least it looks posh."

"Right."

"I swear. How can they even claim those things are healthy?"

What was he talking about? Beetles? Oh, the granola bar. She ate the last piece with a flourish.

"Of course it's healthy. It's got oats in it, and nuts, and fruit," Kami said. Okay, so it was a lame argument. "C'mon, it tastes good."

"It ought to. Everything's coated in sugar. It's probably worse for you than a bar of chocolate."

Kami rolled her eyes and changed the subject.

"So what were you doing in America?" she asked.

"Visiting my cousins in San Diego."

"Oh!" she said. "I live just 20 minutes from there, outside of La Mesa."

"Ah! I wondered if you were from California or passing through when I saw you on the other flight."

"Born and raised," Kami said. "But I moved to the southern part of the state a few years ago. Wait a minute. You were on the other plane?"

"Yeah, nice of you to notice. Kind of hard on a guy's ego. Although in my defense, you did seem pretty distracted. And, of course, you were totally checking me out on this flight."

Kami slugged him.

"I was not!"

"You were staring."

"I was just looking for other Americans. Clearly I was off with you."

"Right. If that's the story you want to believe, then go ahead."

"Whatever," Kami rolled her eyes and changed the subject. "You said you were visiting your cousins. So does that mean you live in Egypt?"

"Yes. My dad works for the British Embassy. I live with my parents in Cairo."